From virtual assistants to algorithms that predict our tastes, AI is transforming the way we work, shop and interact. But do all generations really adopt it equally?
In Spain, the use of AI for purchases grew by 45% in just one year, and the biggest boost came not from young people, but from people over 44 years of age. This contrasts with the stereotype that only current generations take advantage of these technologies.
From the Baby Boomers to the Alpha Generation, the digital transformation in teaching has caused the interaction with algorithms to vary according to the needs of each generational group.
From the grandmother who asks a chatbot for fashion recommendations to the student who uses AI to do his homework, we will discover that technology has no age, but rather multiple ways of adapting.
Baby Boomers (60-78 years): The surprise in adoption
Contrary to what many might think, Baby Boomers are demonstrating a notable adaptation to artificial intelligence, especially in the field of shopping.
According to the Adyen Index: Retail Report 2025, this group recorded 64% growth in AI use over the past year, the largest jump among all generations. How are they using it?
Mainly as a personalized advisor:
- Product recommendations: 57% use it to get inspiration for fashion, food or other items.
- Voice assistants: Tools like Alexa or Google Assistant help you perform searches without having to type.
- Price comparison: Applications like Google Lens allow you to scan products in physical stores and find online alternatives.
Although only 17% actively use it (compared to 66% of Generation Z), its progress is significant. Platforms such as Amazon or Mercadona have integrated AI in an intuitive way, with simple interfaces and functions such as “one-click purchase”.
However, distrust in online transactions and skepticism about data privacy are holding back broader adoption. However, its learning curve is breaking myths: technology is not just for young people.
Generation X (44-59 years): The technological bridge
Neither as analog as their parents nor as digital natives as their children, Generation X has become the perfect bridge between the traditional and the technological.
According to the Adyen report, this group recorded 48% growth in the use of AI for purchasing over the last year, demonstrating a pragmatic adaptation to new tools.
How they leverage AI:
- Smart research: 53% use algorithms to discover unique brands and compare products before purchasing. Platforms like Amazon or El Corte Inglés are their allies, where they filter personalized reviews and suggestions.
- Productivity at work: Tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot help them optimize reports, organize agendas or even write professional emails.
- Home management: From voice assistants for shopping lists to predictive banking apps that analyze your expenses.
Unlike younger people, they do not experiment for fashion, but for concrete usefulness. For example, 61% prefer AI to plan trips (Kayak, Skyscanner) rather than wasting hours on manual comparisons.
Millennials (28-43 years): The masters of optimization
Millennials have turned AI into their strategic ally to hack time. As the generation living between mortgages, parenting and job promotions, it’s no surprise that 47% already use smart tools to simplify their daily lives.
Its star uses:
- Express fashion: Apps like Zara’s Style Match or ASOS Fit Assistant that combine your purchase history with trends in seconds. 68% prefer these systems to wasting hours trying on clothes.
- Supermarket 3.0: Not only do they use Glovo or Uber Eats (with suggestions based on their previous orders), but 52% use assistants like Bring! to plan weekly menus with AI.
- Turbocharged career: From ChatGPT for salary negotiations to Tome.ai for creating professional presentations in minutes.
Although they are the kings of automation, 63% distrust automated financial decisions (such as robo-advisors). They prefer tools like Fintonic to analyze data, but the last word remains human.
Generation Z (16-27 years): The architects of the digital future
While other generations embrace AI, Generation Z breathes it. With 66% of active users (the highest percentage according to Adyen), these young people not only use artificial intelligence: they integrate it into their identity.
Revolution in action:
- Purchases in TikTok mode: 30% buy directly on social networks guided by algorithms, where platforms such as TikTok Shop or Instagram Marketplace use AI to predict their tastes with scary accuracy.
- Education 2.0: 45% use ChatGPT as a »24/7″ tutor to resolve academic doubts, while tools like Notion AI organize their student projects.
- Creativity without limits: From generating images with DALL-E for your networks to producing music with Soundraw.io, AI is your artistic accomplice.
Unfortunately, it is a generation with great technological dependence. 38% admit to feeling anxious if they cannot access their AI assistants (Deusto Salud study).
In addition, they are the generation that shares data the most (61%), but also the most concerned about the ethical use of AI (MIT Tech Review). Their chats contain more witty prompts than memes.
Generation Alpha (0-15 years): The future digital rebels
Many, especially preteens, show a natural resistance to adopting it, not because of technological incapacity, but because of that adolescent instinct to defy what adults impose on them.
They think: “If my teachers tell me that ChatGPT can help me with my homework, I prefer to do it the old-fashioned way.” This initial rebellion, however, clashes with the reality that they grow up in a world where AI is in their video games** or educational apps.
Projections indicate that, when they reach adolescence, their relationship with technology will be both more intimate and critical. Companies like Meta are already developing everything from virtual tutors to assistants to manage their emerging digital social life.
The interesting thing will be to see how this generation raised between screens redefines the ethical limits of the intelligent use of technology. Its initial rejection could become the most conscious and selective adoption in history.
Cross-cutting trends: What unites all generations
Despite their differences, all generations share a common denominator: AI is redefining their relationship with the world.
Baby Boomers discover its practical usefulness, Millennials exploit it to optimize their time or Generation Alpha, although initially resistant, will grow up in an ecosystem where artificial intelligence will be as natural as the air they breathe.
Interestingly, physical commerce remains relevant for all ages. While older people value touch and immediacy, young people look for hybrid experiences where online and offline merge.
The future points towards an increasingly personalized and invisible AI, that will anticipate needs just by asking for it. The real revolution will be cultural: learning to live with machines that understand our behaviors better than ourselves.
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